Police Chief Art Acevedo said violators will be stopped, questioned, searched and arrested.

In addition, Turner said the Toyota Center has been opened as a shelter for those displaced by flooding brought on by Tropical Storm Harvey. The basketball arena will help reduce overflow at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which is currently sheltering 10,000 people.

Turner also tweeted, thanking Rockets owner Les Alexander for letting the city use the arena and for donating $10 million to relief efforts.

The National Weather Service said the rainfall totals in one part of Texas have set a record for the state and the continental U.S.

The rain total in Cedar Bayou, Texas, reached 51.88 inches Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. CDT. Although that sets a record for the continental United States, it doesn't quite surpass the 52 inches tropical cyclone Hiki dumped on Kauai, Hawaii in 1950. That happened before Hawaii became a state.

Sgt. Steve Perez, a 30-year officer, was on his way to work Sunday when he became trapped in high water on Interstate 45 in north Harris County and then couldn't get himself out of his car.

Updated August 29, 2017 03:14 PM EDT

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Harvey Carousel

Eric Gay/AP

Men checks on a boat storage facility that was damaged by Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Eric Gay/AP

Residents pick through needed items at a make-shift aid station, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. A group from the Texas Rio Grande Valley created station for those in need following Hurricane Harvey. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Eric Gay/AP

A drives moves through flood waters left behind by Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Aransas Pass, Texas. Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, smashing homes and businesses and lashing the shore with wind and rain so intense that drivers were forced off the road because they could not see in front of them. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

People push a stalled pickup through a flooded street in Houston, after Tropical Storm Harvey dumped heavy rains, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. The remnants of Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston on Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Charlie Riedel/AP

David J. Phillip/AP

Jennifer Bryant looks over the debris from her family business destroyed by Hurricane Harvey Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Katy, Texas. Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, smashing homes and businesses and lashing the shore with wind and rain so intense that drivers were forced off the road because they could not see in front of them. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David J. Phillip/AP

David J. Phillip/AP

A man helps a woman in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston, Texas. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David J. Phillip/AP

Eric Gay/AP

An official climbs through a window as he checks a home damaged by Hurricane Harvey, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

David J. Phillip/AP

Wilford Martinez, bottom, grabs the median as he is rescued from his flooded car along Interstate 610 in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David J. Phillip/AP

LM Otero/AP

D'Ona Spears, center, reacts as she is told that she cannot bring her dog Missy into the shelter for flood evacuees with her daughter Natalie, left, at the convention center in downtown Houston, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. Spears and her family walked to the shelter after her home was flooded with water from the Buffalo Bayou. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

LM Otero/AP

AP

This image made from a video shows a view from U.S. Route 59 of flooding on West Bellfort Avenue in Houston, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. (DroneBase via AP)

A drives moves through flood waters left behind by Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Aransas Pass, Texas. Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, smashing homes and businesses and lashing the shore with wind and rain so intense that drivers were forced off the road because they could not see in front of them. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Eric Gay/AP

A driver works his way through a maze of fallen utility poles damaged in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Taft, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Eric Gay/AP

The roof of a gas station sits in flood waters in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Aransas Pass, Texas. Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, smashing homes and businesses and lashing the shore with wind and rain so intense that drivers were forced off the road because they could not see in front of them. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Eric Gay/AP

A row of clothes dryers are exposed to the elements after a laundromat lost its roof and portions of walls in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Sam Speights tries to hold back tears while holding his dogs and surveying the damage to his home in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. Speights tried to stay in his home during the storm but had to move to other shelter after he lost his roof and back wall. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A passing motorist stops to look at a flipped truck in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, north of Victoria, Texas. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Charlie Riedel/AP

Eric Gay/AP

An overturned trailer sits in a park in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in Aransas Pass, Texas. Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, smashing homes and businesses and lashing the shore with wind and rain so intense that drivers were forced off the road because they could not see in front of them. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Eric Gay/AP

Dogs owned by Sam Speights walk over their Hurricane Harvey damaged home, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. Speights, and the dogs, tried to stay in his home during the storm but had to move to other shelter after his lost his roof and back wall. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Evacuees wade down a flooded section of Interstate 610 as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David J. Phillip/AP

Charlie Riedel/AP

A car is submerged on a freeway flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, near downtown Houston, Texas. The remnants of Hurricane Harvey sent devastating floods pouring into Houston on Sunday as rising water chased thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A Coast Guard rescue team evacuates people from a neighborhood inundated by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Charlie Riedel/AP

Eric Gay/AP

Evelyn Perkins inspects her home which was destroyed in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

LM Otero/AP

Conception Casa, center, and his friend Jose Martinez, right, check on Rhonda Worthington after her car become stuck in rising floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. The two men were evacuating their home that had become flooded when they encountered Worthington's car floating off the road. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Shawn Hagdorn helps to cover the roof of his father's home that was damaged in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

David J. Phillip/AP

Flood victims wait to unload from the back of a heavy duty truck after being evacuated from their homes as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David J. Phillip/AP

LM Otero/AP

Rhonda Worthington is lifted into a boat while on her cell phone with a 911 dispatcher after her car become stuck in rising floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

LM Otero/AP

Gerald Herbert/AP

Sgt. Chad Watts, of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, holds Madelyn Nguyen, 2, after he rescued her and her family by boat from floodwaters of Tropical Storm Harvey, which hit Texas last week as a Category 4 hurricane, in Houston, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Gerald Herbert/AP

Gerald Herbert/AP

Demetres Fair holds a towel over his daughter Damouri Fair, 2, as they are rescued by boat by members of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Houston Fire Department during flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey, which hit Texas last week as a Category 4 hurricane, in Houston, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Gerald Herbert/AP

David J. Phillip

David J. Phillip

AP

In this photo provided by the Rosenberg Police Department water rushes from a large sinkhole on Highway FM 762 in Rosenberg, Texas, near Houston, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. Police say the sinkhole has opened on the Texas highway as Tropical Storm Harvey dumps more rain on the region. (Rosenberg Police Department via AP)

AP

David J. Phillip/AP

Two people walk down a flooded section of Interstate 610 in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David J. Phillip/AP

Gerald Herbert/AP

Julius Verret, 14, floats in street flooding in Lake Charles, La., as the city is receiving heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. The storm came ashore on the Texas Gulf Coast as a category four hurricane. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Joe Tijerina, right, works to salvage items from his home that was destroyed in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

LM Otero/AP

People sleep on the floor at the George R. Brown Convention Center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

LM Otero/AP

LM Otero/AP

People rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

LM Otero/AP

Rogelio V. Solis/AP

Residents ride in the bed of an emergency vehicle carrying them to safety following flooding to their homes late Monday night, Aug. 28, 2017 in Lake Charles, La. Almost constant rain over the last two days from Harvey, overcame the city's drainage system, flooding several subdivisions and necessitating home rescues. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Rogelio V. Solis/AP

LM Otero/AP

People line up for food as others rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center that has been set up as a shelter for evacuees escaping the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

LM Otero/AP

Evan Vucci/AP

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on Air Force One at Corpus Christi International Airport in Corpus Christi, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, for briefings on Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Evacuees make their way though floodwaters near the Addicks Reservoir as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

David J. Phillip/AP

Updated August 29, 2017 12:38 PM EDT

Ranchers in Texas evacuate cattle to higher ground

Ranchers south of Houston are evacuating cattle as floodwaters rise. Wendt Ranches in Bay City -- about 80 miles south of Houston -- posted on Facebook that it had moved the last of its cattle to higher ground and that it was unsure what would happen over the next 24 to 72 hours as rain from Tropical Storm Harvey continues to fall.

Updated August 29, 2017 12:23 PM EDT

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) on Tuesday said that his city isn't "turning anybody away" while Tropical Storm Harvey rages in the region.

"The point is they're in a point of need and we will be here for them," he said during a press conference of Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center. "They have to go somewhere. We're not turning anybody away."

"I want to underscore that this is a storm of historic proportions not just to the city of Houston. The city of Houston is serving as a hub center not just for the people of Houston but the other people who are in the area."

Updated August 29, 2017 11:48 AM EDT

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo on Tuesday said his officers will not allow any "victimizing" from criminals as the city struggles with Tropical Storm Harvey.

"We are not going to tolerate people victimizing," he said during a press conference. "You take advantage of them and prey in these circumstances, that's despicable."

"We are going to urge judges and juries to give you the toughest sentence possible. We're going to push hard to make sure you don't see the sunlight for a while."

Acevedo also dismissed critics of the city's strategy for dealing with Harvey, which first made landfall along the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane last Friday.

"This is a catastrophic event I don't think we've seen," he said. "For all the Monday morning quarterbacking out there, you can't have hindsight on an event that's never occurred."

Updated August 29, 2017 10:53 AM EDT

Texas's Brazoria County on Tuesday announced that its levee at Columbia Lakes had been breached amid ongoing downpour from Tropical Storm Harvey.

Two water resevoirs in Houston are starting to overflow as Tropical Storm Harvey continues pouring rain upon the city, according to Reuters.

Harris County officials told Reuters on Tuesday that they are monitoring six neighborhoods around reservoirs as the water there keeps rising.

Authorities have since been forced to release more water into Houston's straining drainage system in the hopes of easing pressure on both dams.

Area officials also told Reuters they are urging residents of Houston, America's fourth largest city, to evacuate if they live in impacted areas there.

"This is something we've never seen before," said Jeff Linder of Harris County's flood control district. "We have uncertainty in how the water is going to react."

Linder said the water releases will add to flooding in regions close to Buffalo Bayou, which flows through the center of downtown Houston.

Controlled releases to reduce pressure on the dams have not significantly increased the amount of water in Houston's rivers, acording to Linder.

Houston's downtown area has not flooded yet, according to Reuters, but ongoing rain from Harvey may complicate efforts to prevent that scenario.

Updated August 29, 2017 07:23 AM EDT

Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center on Tuesday had thousands of people more than its maximum capacity inside of it due to Tropical Storm Harvey, according to ABC's "Good Morning America."

"Good Morning America" reported that the center had about 8,800 people inside it early that morning, well beyond its normal 5,000 people limit.

The American Red Cross is setting up stations at the center as victims pour in, which include blankets, cots, food, towels and medical attention.

Houston city officials also announced that there have been 4,000 water-related incidents and 290 water rescues there in the last 24 hours.

CNN reported that Harvey could drop up to 15 inches of rain on sections of eastern Texas (including the Houston area) and western Louisiana as Tuesday unfolds.

The National Weather Service said the storm is beginning to shift east and could dramatically worsen the "catastrophic and life-threatening" flooding situation in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.

Federal officials, meanwhile, are predicting that Harvey will force 30,000 people into shelters and 450,000 victims into seeking some form of disaster aid.

Harvey has played a part in the deaths of at least four people, according to CNN, and there is no indication that water will stop rising in impacted areas anytime soon.

Red Cross spokeswoman Betsy Robertson on Monday said that all of the people who made it to the center in Houston that evening had extra blankets or pillows while sleeping on the floor.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) added that the city is looking for an additional shelter location and has so far seen few looting incidents.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Mike Hart on Monday said that the service had rescued over 3,000 people in storm areas thus far, adding that it was receiving "upwards of 1,000 calls per hour" as the natural disaster rages.

Updated August 28, 2017 09:13 PM EDT

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said police have rescued 1,000 people in the last eight hours.

That brings the total number of people rescued to 3,025 since Tropical Storm Harvey hit the Houston area.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday that it had rescued more than 3,000 people by boat and air and were still receiving over 1,000 calls per hour.

Rescue efforts in Houston are still underway as floodwaters continue to rise.

Officials in Baytown, a suburb of east Houston, are urging residents of two subdivisions to evacuate.

Baytown spokeswoman Patti Jett told the Associated Press that the 2,000 residents of Pinehurst and Whispering Pines subdivisions have to be cleared out by nightfall. Officials asked residents to put white towels or sheets on their windows so rescue teams will know to rescue them.

Updated August 28, 2017 07:31 PM EDT

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has added four more counties in the eastern part of the state to his disaster declaration.

The disaster declaration helps the state manage resources essential for search, rescue and relief.

Updated August 28, 2017 04:29 PM EDT

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city is working to open another shelter for those fleeing flooding brought on by now Tropical Storm Harvey.

The George S. Brown Convention Center, which was opened as a shelter over the weekend, has already reached its 5,000-person capacity.

Turner visited the convention center Monday, checking in with some of the evacuees.

Officials say at least eight people have died as a result of Hurricane Harvey, which is now a tropical storm, The Washington Post reports.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said officials are still in the early stages of responding to the devastating effects of this historic storm. So far, 18 Texas counties are on the federal disaster declaration list.

"I do anticipate adding more counties," Abbott added.

FEMA Administrator Brock Long said his agency will likely be working in Texas for "several years."

Updated August 28, 2017 01:23 PM EDT

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has activated the state's entire National Guard in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, his office announced Monday.

The guardsmen will assist in search, rescue and recovery efforts.

"It is imperative that we do everything possible to protect the lives and safety of people across the state of Texas as we continue to face the aftermath of this storm," Abbott said in a press release.

The move increases the number of deployed guardsmen to around 12,000.

Updated August 28, 2017 12:32 PM EDT

Hurricane Harvey by the numbers:

Hurricane Harvey by the numbers

Updated August 28, 2017 11:01 AM EDT

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (D) on Monday said that his city remains focused on helping as many citizens as possible left stranded by Hurricane Harvey and related flooding.

"The goal is rescue," he said during a press conference. "That's my focus for the day. We fully recognize that there are many other people out there in stressful situations."

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, meanwhile, issued a warning to those in Houston who would use the storm as an excuse for criminal activity.

"We've had four people that tried to loot and were arrested," he said. "We have every one of our police forces deployed."

"If you try to commit a criminal offense, especially try to take advantage of our citizens who have already been victimized enough by mother nature, rest assured you will be arrested."

Turner also said that more flooding in parts of Houston remains possible as officials there release water from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs.

"For right now, the flood level is steady," he said. "The more they release, the more could go. It could create an additional problem of additional flooding."

"The reality is that water continues to rise," Turner added. "This is a dynamic situation. And things could change. They could change by the hour, or literally, by the day."

Turner added that at least 5,500 people had been accounted for in shelters in Houston, and that officials there expected the total to rise as Harvey continued.

"People who were not in a crisis state yesterday may find themselves in a crisis situation today," he cautioned.

Turner additionally thanked those who had donated to disaster relief funds association with Houston, which is America's fourth largest city.

"After the storm has passed, the needs of people and families will continue," he said. "That will be a tremendous need."

Turner urged Houston's citizens to remain patient, adding that they should not give up hope as the city faces prolonged severe weather from Harvey.

"Every storm is different," he said. "Every storm has its own personality. This one is different because it is so widespread and it's ongoing. This isn't one of those storms that came in and moved out."

"The emotional cost this storm is having, for example, is hard to measure," Turner continued. "We are now in the recovery phase. I understand frustration."

"We'll be doing everything we can to address their problem regardless of the level of that problem. We'll be up. We'll stay up for 24 hours. We'll worry about the cost and all of that later."

Turner later defended his office's decision not to evacuate the entirety of Houston, which houses about 6.5 million people.

"It's difficult to evacuate 6.5 million people," he said. "It's just very, very difficult. The best thing to tell people was just to stay in place and make the necessary preparations for food and medical supplies and so on."

"If you are in a stressful situation, we don't care who you are or what your status is. We don't want you to lose your life, or that of a family member."

Updated August 28, 2017 11:21 AM EDT

The Harris County Sheriff's Office asked residents awaiting rescue to "hang a towel or sheet prominently so we can find you."

"Addresses are hard to spot," the tweet noted.

IMPORTANT: If you are awaiting rescue, hang a towel or sheet prominently so we can find you. Adresses are hard to spot. #harvey#hounews

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke says that Hurricane Harvey remains an ongoing danger to the Texas coast despite the storm's battering of the region all last weekend.

"We are not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot," she said during a press conference Monday. "People need help and we are working to provide it."

"We are committed to getting the resources local officials need, as soon as possible," Duke added. "If local officials deem it safe, please take time to check on your neighbors and friends, particularly the elderly, who may need assistance."

"We're not at recovery yet," he said. "The next objective is to stabilize disaster survivors. We've got to get them into shelters. We're anticipating over 30,000 people being placed in shelters temporarily."

FEMA expects more than 450,000 victims of Harvey to seek assistance.

"This is a whole community effort," Long added. "We need citizens to be involved. This is a landmark event [for Texas]. We have not seen an event like this."

Hurricane Harvey is heading back toward the Gulf of Mexico at a slow pace, meaning it has virtually stalled over the Texas coast and may continue pummeling the region with heavy rain.

The National Hurricane Center early Monday said that the storm boasts sustained winds of up to 40 mph and is essentially creeping southeast at 3 mph.

The hurricane is reportedly centered 20 miles east of Victoria, Texas, which is approximately 120 miles away from Houston, America's fourth-largest city.

Harvey thus continues to downpour upon the Houston and Galveston areas, with numerous spots in the region having received more than 25 inches of rain so far.

The National Hurricane Center added that Harvey's center is predicted to drift off the middle Texas coast Monday before becoming offshore Tuesday and continuing in "a slow northeastern motion."

People in the upper Texas coast and southwestern Louisiana should subsequently monitor the storm's progress, according to the organization.

Harvey has impacted roughly 6.8 million people across 18 counties in Texas, judging from federal disaster declarations, or about a quarter of the state's population. The storm has been blamed for at least two deaths.

Along with the guard, Abbott said 500 vehicles and 14 aircraft have also been put into service to aid in rescue efforts. Officials in Harris County have also asked for members of the public who own boats to help rescue Houston residents trapped in flooded homes.

"We desperately need boats and high water vehicles," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said. "We can't wait for assets to come from outside."

"If you think the situation right now is bad and you give an order to evacuate, you are creating a nightmare," he said.

Turner added that emergency personnel have responded to more than 2,000 calls. Life-threatening calls are being prioritized and city officials are urging residents to stay in their homes and not drive if possible.

More than 1,000 people were rescued overnight as Harvey brought what the National Weather Service is calling "catastrophic" flooding to the Houston area.

As of Sunday morning hundreds of calls had been fielded for water rescues, The Houston Chronicle reports. Houston police officials evacuated two apartment complexes and rescued more than 50 children from the flooding.

Authorities also confirmed a second death linked to Harvey. Art Acevedo, Houston's police chief, confirmed late Saturday that one person died in the flooding.

"Sadly we have lost one female member of our community who encountered floodwaters in her vehicle, got out and was swept away," Acevedo said. "We also have reports of one other brutality but have not confirmed it."

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said so far there are no confirmed deaths linked to Tropical Storm Harvey.

During Saturday's news conference in Austin, Abbott said he's working with local officials to gain more information about the storm damage. He added that it is still too early to tell just how much property damage the storm has caused.

The Texas governor did, however, expand his disaster declaration to include 20 additional Texas counties.

"The addition of these counties to the state disaster declaration will continue to allow Texas to quickly deploy all available resources to those affected by this devastating storm," Gov. Abbott said. "Hurricane Harvey has had a catastrophic impact on Texans and their property, and this declaration will help them rebuild and recover. The state will continue to provide as much aid as possible to these communities that have already lost so much."

Updated August 26, 2017 02:13 PM EDT

The National Hurricane Center says Harvey is now a tropical storm.

Officials said they are still worried about the catastrophic rainfall that will continue for days.

Catastrophic & life-threatening flooding is expected in SE Texas from heavy rainfall of 15-30 inches, with isolated totals up to 40" #Harveypic.twitter.com/y2JV10zsBL

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is evacuating inmates from three prisons due to heavy rain brought on by Hurricane Harvey.

The evacuation will affect approximately 4,500 inmates in the Ramsey, Terrell, and Stringfellow Units in Rosharon, Texas, as the Brazos River continues to rise. Corrections officers and other staff are evacuating inmates to facilities in East Texas.

Inmates will not be allowed to have visits, but will be able to call home, according to a statement from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Updated August 26, 2017 11:26 AM EDT

Hurricane Harvey has knocked out power to nearly 300,000 customers along the Texas coast.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages about 90 percent of the state's electrical grid, said there were 211,000 outages in the hours after Harvey made landfall.

In addition to power outages, emergency personnel in the areas northeast of Corpus Christi are experiencing the loss of cellphone service. Federally licensed radio hobbyists have activated a shortwave network along the Gulf Coast in case they are needed to cover interruptions in communications from Hurricane Harvey.

The National Hurricane Center released a statement Saturday morning saying that although Harvey's winds have begun to weaken, heavy rainfall and storm surge continue to threaten parts of Texas.

"Catastrophic and life-threatening flooding is expected across the middle and upper Texas coast from heavy rainfall of 15 to 30 inches, with isolated amounts as high as 40 inches, through Thursday," according to the National Hurricane Center.

Residents in the path of the storm are urged not to drive on flooded roadways.

The fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade made landfall as a Category 4 storm around 11 p.m. Friday, just 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi.

Fulton, TX Hurricane Harvey Eyewall Destroying Buildings - 8/25/2017

The storm came ashore with 130 mph winds but gradually weakened after a several hours. The National Hurricane Center said that by 5 a.m. Saturday Harvey was downgraded to a Category 1, with winds of 90 mph.

By 6 a.m. local time, the storm had weakened further, with maximum sustained winds at 85 mph.

Harvey's approach sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing the Gulf Coast, hoping to escape the wrath of the menacing storm. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that the monster storm would be "a very major disaster." Many compared predictions for Harvey to Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest storms to ever strike the U.S.

Pres. Trump granted my request for a disaster declaration allowing FEMA to swiftly help Texans rebuild their lives from #hurricaineharvey.

Harvey is the strongest storm to strike Texas since 1961's Hurricane Carla. It also ties for the 18th strongest hurricane on landfall in the U.S. since 1851 and the ninth strongest in Texas.

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Hurricane Harvey settles over southeast Texas

Eric Gay/AP

Fishermen walk along a pier as the early bands of Hurricane Harvey make landfall, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Harvey intensified into a hurricane Thursday and steered for the Texas coast with the potential for up to 3 feet of rain, 125 mph winds and 12-foot storm surges in what could be the fiercest hurricane to hit the United States in almost a dozen years.(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Eric Gay/AP

Rain is blown past palm trees as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Harvey intensified into a hurricane Thursday and steered for the Texas coast with the potential for up to 3 feet of rain, 125 mph winds and 12-foot storm surges in what could be the fiercest hurricane to hit the United States in almost a dozen years. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Eric Gay/AP

Nick Wagner/AP

A tree blocks a street as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. (Nick Wagner /Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Nick Wagner/AP

Nick Wagner/AP

An oil refinery's lights illuminate rainfall as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Nick Wagner/AP

Nick Wagner/AP

A basketball hoop lays in pieces as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Nick Wagner/AP

Nick Wagner/AP

A power pole lays in the middle of a street as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Nick Wagner/AP

Nick Wagner/AP

A Valero oil refinery's flare continues to burn as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Nick Wagner/AP

Nick Wagner/AP

A damaged stop light blocks a street as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Nick Wagner/AP

Nick Wagner/AP

A street sits empty as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Hurricane Harvey smashed into Texas late Friday, lashing a wide swath of the Gulf Coast with strong winds and torrential rain from the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)

Nick Wagner/AP

Nicolas Galindo/AP

Victoria County Sheriff's deputies bring supplies into the The Victoria Tax Office in downtown Victoria, Texas, in order to prepare for Hurricane Harvey making landfall on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. (Nicolas Galindo/The Victoria Advocate via AP)

Nicolas Galindo/AP

The White House said President Donald Trump has been closely monitoring the storm and plans to travel to Texas early next week.

At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!

Trump applauded Brock Long, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), for his response to the hurricane. In a Saturday morning tweet addressed to Long, Trump said: "You are doing a great job - the world is watching! Be safe."

Closely monitoring #HurricaneHarvey from Camp David. We are leaving nothing to chance. City, State and Federal Govs. working great together!